Celebrity barbecue master Bryan Furman opens restaurant in suburban Atlanta

It’s been a long road to reopening his own brick-and-mortar barbecue restaurant since Furman’s first Atlanta restaurant, B’s Cracklin’ Barbecue, closed its doors in March 2019 after a devastating fire at 2061 Main Street in Riverside.

Since then, Furman has remained a fixture on the national barbecue circuit, traveling the country for festivals and special events with his large mobile smoker, and finding ways to continue serving local fans of his beloved brisket, wings, fried pork skins and more at the pop. -events in place.

Furman, who first opened B’s Cracklin in Savannah, has built a national reputation for remarkable barbecue, slab by slab.

He has been widely acclaimed not only for his distinct recipes and methods of smoking meats (he is particularly praised for brisket), but also for his intentional sourcing to meet his own high quality standards. Furman has long insisted on using heritage pigs, which he learned to raise on his grandparents’ farm in South Carolina.

Following the 2019 fire, Furman opened B’s Cracklin’ BBQ counter inside Kroger at 725 Ponce de Leon Avenue. There, he prepared baked brisket, collard greens, mac and cheese and other longtime favorites that customers could reheat and eat at home.

Furman would soon close the Kroger location, and in 2021 shared plans with the AJC to open Bryan Furman BBQ at 2012 Bolton Road, on a plot of land within walking distance of the original Atlanta restaurant.

Furman’s plans to stay in Riverside have changed due to rising construction costs at the Bolton Road site, which he purchased and is in the process of selling. He says the price tag to prepare for the new restaurant’s opening has gone from hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions.

“I know the cost of opening a barbecue joint,” Furman says in explaining the change of location to Windy Hill Road. “I don’t know how much it’s going to cost, but I know it won’t cost me that much.”

The new home of Bryan Furman BBQ will be familiar to barbecue fans near 186 Windy Hill Road, as it is the former home of Herb’s Rib Shack. Furman says he will add fresh paint inside and out and feature his large outdoor smokehouse while preparing to install a smoking pit behind the building, where a concrete slab exists Already.

Furman says opening a restaurant with a structural foundation for cooking barbecue was a better option.

Credit: Mike Jordan

Credit: Mike Jordan

“Going into debt from a business perspective made no sense. Plus, I had to stop thinking about what everyone else wanted and (start thinking about) what I wanted.

Bryan Furman BBQ will be takeout only, with the later option of a small seating area in the back. There will be no alcohol and he’s been going back and forth to install a fryer, although he says he decided it was necessary – not just for customers who like fries, but also for those who might revolt if its fried pork skins aren’t available.

He may add smoked portobellos and other vegetables, as he’s seen diners become curious about vegans in recent years. And he’s excited to feature his mom’s apple cake recipe for dessert after the barbecue.

Instead of taking a step back from the indoor dining experience of B’s ​​Cracklin’s heyday, Furman says this iteration is a return to its roots.

“It really goes back to when I first thought of a takeout barbecue concept, like a real South Carolina rib shack,” he says. “When I got to Atlanta, that’s when I started serving alcohol. My location in Savannah couldn’t even serve alcohol. It was more like grab it and go, or eat in your car and drive it. And it was more coherent.

Credit: Bob Townsend

Credit: Bob Townsend

Few things are more important than consistency when it comes to barbecue. Furman doesn’t think he’s changed dramatically from what made him and his barbecue so beloved, but after many challenges getting back into a cohesive space, customers will likely be curious to see if he’s still the merchandise.

And since many of them will be new customers unaware of what they’re missing, what should they expect this summer when it finally returns?

“Bryan Furman BBQ’s 2024 experience is that Bryan Furman has more experience,” he says with an earthy laugh. “The fence brought me back into a mentality of slowing down, not rushing or trying to be perfect,” he says.

Credit: Mike Jordan

Credit: Mike Jordan

When asked how it feels to be back, Furman takes a breath and says it’s an honor, admitting he considered giving up several times before signing the new lease.

“I never doubt myself, but sometimes we go through difficult times,” he says. “But it’s like if I don’t do anything, man, I owe Atlanta one. And it’s sad that I feel like I owe someone, but I owe a restaurant in Atlanta. And even though it’s not in Atlanta, it’s not far. It was just the right place at the right time.

And in business as in barbecues, timing is everything, he says.

“Barbecue is supposed to be like wine. It’s supposed to get better over time. Whenever you are passionate about something and creative, you want it to improve. I’m not going to stick to one thing and settle for where my barbecue was in 2019. I’m not trying to be mediocre.

Bryan Furman BBQ will be located at 186 Windy Hill Road in Marietta. More details will be available on his Instagram account, bs_pitmaster.